Name: Pork and cabbage stir-fry recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: Serves: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 20g pumpkin seeds; 2tbsp sesame oil; 450g pork tenderloin, cut into chunks, at room temperature; 1 savoy cabbage, shredded; 100g mushrooms, wiped clean; 4 spring onions, sliced; 100g radish, sliced; 20g coriander, roughly chopped; Wholegrain rice, to serve

By Rose Fooks

published 28 January 2024

Contributions from

Jessica Ransom

in Recipes

Our pork and cabbage stir-fry takes 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook. It's bursting with flavour and makes a nice change from your usual stir-fry.

This recipe is inspired by Thai Prik nam pla sauce which is the perfect balance of zesty, spicy, savoury and salty. At first glance, you might think pork, apple, and cabbage is an unusual combination but if you love roast pork, you’ve probably eaten the ingredients together before.

Ingredients

20g pumpkin seeds
2tbsp sesame oil
450g pork tenderloin, cut into chunks, at room temperature
1 savoy cabbage, shredded
100g mushrooms, wiped clean
4 spring onions, sliced
100g radish, sliced
20g coriander, roughly chopped
Wholegrain rice, to serve

For the sauce:

2tbsp fish sauce
Juice and zest 1 lime
3tsp grated fresh ginger
1⁄2 red chilli, finely chopped
1tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 apple, peeled and finely grated

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Method

Dry-fry the pumpkin seeds until toasted and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add half the pork, mixing to brown on all sides, until cooked through. Remove from the wok and repeat with the remainder of it.
Return the wok to the heat, adding more oil if needed. Stir-fry the cabbage and mushrooms for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients. Return the meat to the pan with the sauce and the other ingredients. Toss to warm through and top with the toasted pumpkin seeds before serving with rice.

Top tips for making this pork and cabbage stir-fry

This is an excellent recipe for using up odds and ends of veg you have in the fridge. Just make sure everything is cut to a uniform size so that it cooks quickly and evenly.

What can I add to a stir-fry for crunch?

We’ve used toasted seeds for some crunchy texture and a flavour boost. If you don’t mind the calorie count increasing, we think crispy onions would be a delicious alternative.

What is the best cabbage for a stir-fry?

You can use any variety of cabbage that you like or that is in season. Chinese cabbage has thinner tender leaves compared to a white cabbage. Whichever cabbage you use, just make sure it’s sliced into thin ribbons.

What cuts of pork are good for stir-fry?

We’ve used tenderloin, also known as pork fillet, but you can use strips of pork loin or leg instead. You could also use pork mince or the meat from a couple of sausages with their skin removed. Sausagemeat will give a saltier flavour and contain more fat compared to tenderloin so the calories per portion will be different from the original recipe.

Jessica Ransom

“I think this recipe would be delicious with beef, chicken or prawns instead of pork. If you want to make it veggie, try frying some chunks of tofu instead. It will absorb the sauce and has a nice hearty texture.”

If you want to get wafer thin slices of cabbage, cut it into quarters, remove the core and then use a Y peeler on the cut sides to create even ribbons.

For more speedy dinner inspiration try this lemon chicken stir fry or our beef and vegetable stir fry is another tasty option. We have loads of leftover pork recipes too if you’re keen to avoid food waste.

Rose Fooks is Deputy Food Editor at Future Publishing, creating recipes, reviewing products and writing food features for a range of lifestyle and home titles including GoodTo and Woman&Home. Before joining the team, Rose obtained a Diplome de Patisserie and Culinary Management at London’s Le Cordon Bleu. Going on to work in professional kitchens at The Delaunay and Zedel.

With contributions from